1. Field of Invention
The present invention is related generally to the field of receptacles and more particularly to an urn which is adapted to contain the cremated remains of a pet or human.
2. Description of Related Art
The cremation of the mortal remains of living creatures, such as pets, has become increasingly popular. This increasing popularity may be because of a change in demographics, and it is less expensive than in ground burials. The result of the cremation process is a volume of bone fragments which are normally reduced to a fine ash by grinding, resulting in about one cubic inch of cremated remains per pound of body weight.
Some pet owners, or family or friends, choose to retain the cremated remains (also known as cremains) as a memory of the departed loved one. Typically, cremation urns take the form of a vase or a similar type of container where the cremains of the lost loved one are to be placed.
There is an accelerating trend in the afterlife industry towards personalizing the funeral products purchased for the deceased. Rather than providing plastic or tin box urns, for example, such personalizing may include an image remembrance, and in some cases this image is customized to be or contain a photograph of the deceased, or, for animals, an image that includes a breed depiction of the pet in a choice of settings, for example, a farm, country, beach, or mountain setting.
The images can be engraved onto a wooden urn using a CO2 laser. In order to maintain inventory of a large variety of images of different breeds in various size urns and types of woods, many urns would need to be engraved and stored. Occasionally, an engraving may be rejected because of deficiencies in the image, or misplacement of the image. This rejection causes a relatively expensive solid hardwood urn to be scrapped.
What is called for is an urn that can be custom engraved, and easily re-engraved in case of error without scrapping an entire urn. What is also called for is an urn which allows for a reduced inventory yet allows for prompt delivery to grieving loved ones.